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Posts for tag: Flat Feet

As a parent we try to prevent, treat, and cure every ailment that our children come across. Sometimes these problems are easy to fix, other times they are due to the development of the child. It is not uncommon for children to have developmental disorders. Some of these disorders affect education, learning, and growth, while others can affect their feet and the way they stay mobile. The following list are four developmental disorders that could develop in your child.

Bowlegs – Bowlegs look exactly as they sound. The legs of the child that are typically straight, have more of a curve to them. This is very common in infants between 12 and 14 months old. This condition can last all the way up until a child is 2. Most bowlegs are very stable and symmetric. The disorder is also known to spontaneously resolve. Sometimes podiatrists such as Dr. Mayer Salama and Dr. Daniel Salama use bracing to help children’s legs get back into the right position and to help them stay mobile, especially if a child has bowlegs between the ages of 3 and 4. If a growth plate is causing the bowlegs, surgery may be necessary.

Knock-Knees – This disorder, in which knees touch but ankles do not when standing, is very common and considered normal in children ages 3-7. As the child ages, the knock-knees usually improve and go away all on their own. By age 11 the knees and legs should completely straighten out. Sometimes bracing is used to help this disorder. In very rare and severe cases, surgery is performed.

Flat Foot – This is a very common problem in children and adults all over the world. It is usually a condition that is caused by genetics. The tendons in the foot, as well as the ligaments, are lax and do not behave in a manner that creates an arch. As long as the foot and arch are not rigid, flat feet is not normally a cause for concern. By age 5 you can usually tell if a person will have flat feet or not. If these flat feet cause pain, orthotics can be used to aid the foot.

Intoeing – This condition is caused by the hips and lower body being rotated inward or outward. The most common cause of this shift is a shin bone twist or thigh bone torsion. Sometimes surgery is used to fix the affected limbs.

Many people are born with two legs, two ankles, and two feet. These parts of the body help us walk and get mobile every day. We rely on them heavily and use them constantly. Not every foot and ankle is the same though. Feet and ankles come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the foot and ankle even comes pronated.

Pronated feet are feet that are rotated or turned away from the body. Typical feet are mostly in line with the center of the body. They do not turn inwards or outwards. They align straight and are parallel. People with pronated feet do not have such alignment.

Signs:

The forefoot is shifted outward from the heel.

The ankle is bulging on the inside.

The heel is turned away from the center of the body.

The patient’s les are turned inward or are bowed.

Sometimes people with pronated feet also lack a plantar’s arch. This condition is commonly known as flat feet or pancake feet. Other times, however, those with pronated feet do not suffer from a lack of arch. Each person and circumstance is different as is every set of feet in the world. In all cases, if the feet are severely pronated, it can cause negative long-term health issues.

What are the long-term effects?

Those who suffer from severely pronated feet tend to have other pains and problems in their bodies. The pelvis, feet, ankles, and back are all directly affected. Pronation causes these body parts to misalign which can lead to pain, strain, and lead to abnormal gait, motion, and tired feet.

Pronated feet are considered a serious deformity that should be treated by a podiatrist immediately. Once seen by a podiatrist the patient can select different treatment options that may be right for them. Some treatments for pronated feet include but are not limited to:

People see podiatrists everyday. They treat a range of issues from fungus and deformities to breaks and sprains. No one likes to go to the podiatrist or any other doctor, so how do you prevent yourself from winding up in their waiting room?

Look at your feet – Examine those feet regularly. If you see swelling, redness, sores, warts or any other change or sign of a potential problem, call a podiatrist immediately. Quick action and early intervention can prevent more severe cases and more trips to the podiatrist down the road.

Wear the right shoes – Rounded shoes with a wide toe area are great for our feet. Heels shouldn’t be more than two inches high. Shoes without good arch support can cause pain. Narrow shoes, tight shoes, shoes with heels, shoes that are too loose, all of these shoes are bad for your feet. Find a pair that provides good stability and support and that fit you properly to avoid a trip to the podiatrist.

Pay attention to your kids – Look at your children’s feet all the time. Just like your feet, they are susceptible to foot injuries and disorders. Warts, flat feet, sprains, breaks, fungal nail problems and athlete’s foot all can develop in your child’s feet. Be sure to examine them regularly to prevent a mild issue from becoming severe.

Get your kids' shoes right – Just like you need to wear properly fitting shoes, so do your children. Poor stability and support can cause their growing feet to become deformed, have a poor arch, and cause pain. Their feet grow quickly, so be sure to check that their shoes are the correct fit on a regular basis.

Cut toenails straight – this helps to prevent ingrown toenails from digging into the toes.

Do not use over the counter medicines without consulting a doctor – sometimes they can cause a lot more harm than good.

Warm up before exercising – If you work out and do not warm up your muscles, they will not react kindly to being stretched and overexerted too fast. Prevent tears and strains by stretching before and after exercising.

Everyone has their own foot print that gets left behind in the sand. What does yours look like?

Over pronation happens when your heels roll too much towards the inside of your foot while Under pronation happens when your foot rolls outward; Both cause problems and change the way your foot hits the ground as you walk. This foot print tells us what you need to correct your walk and alleviate your pain.

If your foot print appears to be longer with your toes at the end, you have flat feet from over pronation and can correct it in time by consulting Dr. Mayer Salama and Dr. Daniel Salama. In the meantime, here are some suggested exercises you can use to correct this condition.

Towel curl can be done anywhere and all you need is a towel. Lay the towel on the floor and curl it towards you using only your toes. Spread the towel back out and do it 10 more times. If you would like to increase the intensity you can put a weight at the end of the towel.

Golf ball roll starts by rolling a golf ball under both feet between your feet for 60 seconds. If you hit a point where you feel pain you need to pause for 10 seconds and massage the area that is causing you pain.

Calf raises are good for increasing muscle strength. Place both feet a shoulders width apart and point your toes forward. Lift onto your toes repeatedly 12 times for 3 sets. You can hold free weight s to increase intensity.

Pronate ball is simply placing a ball on the outside of your foot against a wall and press the foot outward in to the ball to strengthen the foot and ankle. Hold for 2 seconds and release for 10 sets.

If you suffer from the pain associated with over pronation call our office and schedule an appointment to be evaluated. We have four locations in Michigan; Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Trenton and Clarkston for your convenience. Make your foot print a healthy mark in the sand!

Having flat feet simply means that your feet lie flat on the ground without any space in between. Your arches may have fallen or perhaps were never completely developed from your youth. The good news is you can still maintain a stable and active life with flat feet. And there really is not any bad news but there are some consequences to consider to avoid further complications.

If you suffer from having flat feet you may not experience any pain or other problems but if left untreated it can lead to long term disability and chronic pain. Dr. Mayer Salama and Dr. Daniel Salama have information about this condition and some suggestions you can try to ease the symptoms.

Causes

Inherited ~ foot structure can be handed down to your feet creating a bone shape that makes you more prone to flat feet

Complication of other diseases ~ Ehler-Danlos syndrome is a condition that forces tendons and ligaments to become loose and the arch doesn’t form properly

Injury ~ obesity can fall under this category as well as direct injury

Treatment

Fitted insoles or orthotics ~ helpful aids in your shoes could take the load off of your tendon tissue until the inflammation decreases

Losing weight ~ if this is one of the reasons for developing flat feet then taking the pressure off your feet could improve the symptoms

Restricted activity ~ rest from certain activities can give the feet time to improve on their own

Surgery ~ children’s bones do not develop correctly which can lead to flat feet at birth and in some cases, carry into adulthood. Fusing the bones can help in this rare instance

Exercises ~ stretching the tendons and ligaments will help with over pronation (when the feet roll in or out) this in turn may reduce the symptoms, our team can give you some safe daily exercises

If your condition is such that you need a consultation, our doctors will diagnose your flat feet by watching you stand and walk during the examination. An X-ray or an MRI may be necessary along with a good look at your medical history depending on the severity of the condition. We have four conveniently located offices in Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Clarkston and Trenton Michigan and can be reached at 248-474-0040 for an appointment. We are dedicated to keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground no matter what!